Combined device of a foldable utensil and a container

ABSTRACT

A combined device of a foldable utensil and a container comprises a container and a foldable utensil. The container includes a food can, a cup, a bowl, a box, etc. having a round shape, a rectangular shape or a polygonal shape, or other irregular shape. The bottom of the container has a receiving space for receiving the foldable utensil. The foldable utensil is an integral formed plate and includes a bowl (or a fork, a spoon fork, or an agitating plate, etc) and handle. By the dents having a “ ” shape on the handle body, the handle body is foldable so as to be received in the bottom of the container. By the longitudinal dents, embedding posts and embedding holes, the handle body is foldable and thus is formed as a concrete three dimensional handle.

[0001] The present invention is a continuation in part of U.S. Pat. No.5,992,667, filed in Jul. 13, 1998, which are now assigned to theassignee of the present invention, and the contents in the patent isincorporated into the present invention as a reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a combined device of a foldableutensil and a container comprising a container and a foldable utensil.The bottom of the container has a receiving space for receiving thefoldable utensil. The foldable utensil is an integral formed plate andincludes a bowl. By the transversal dents on the handle body, the handlebody is foldable so as to be received in the bottom of the container;and by the longitudinal dents, embedding posts and embedding holes, thehandle body is foldable and thus is formed as a concrete threedimensional handle. There is needless to concern about that the handlewill be broken, and plastic film is unnecessary.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In the prior art, a food can, a cup, a bowl or a box has a roundshape, a square shape, a polygonal shape, or other shapes. For the shakeof convenience, the can has a spoon or a fork, or others which is placedin a plastic cover formed by a cover and a single spoon, or is formed bya cover, a bowl, and a handle which are separated. The bowl and thehandle (or a single spoon) are simply buckled to an inner surface of thecover. In using, as the cover is opened, the bowl and handle are takenout and then the two are assembled as a complete spoon (or fork).However, in this prior art design, in the operation of assembly, thevolume of the prior art plastic cover is finite so that the whole lengthof the handle is confined and can not be prolonged effectively.Furthermore, the handle is formed by a single thin plate so that thestrength is insufficient. It is easy to break from a buckling portion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is toprovide a combined device of a foldable utensil and a containercomprising a container and a foldable utensil. The bottom of thecontainer has a receiving space for receiving the foldable utensil. Thefoldable utensil is an integral formed plate and includes a bowl. By thetransversal dents on the handle body, the handle body is foldable so asto be received in the bottom of the container; and by the longitudinaldents, embedding posts and embedding holes, the handle body is foldableand thus is formed as a concrete three dimensional handle. There isneedless to concern about that the handle will be broken, and plasticfilm is unnecessary.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a combineddevice of a foldable utensil and a container, wherein the inner grooveof the container is installed with a pin, while the foldable utensil isinstalled with a positioning hole at a respective position for beingsteadily embedded to the pine at the bottom of the container. Then,plastic film serves to package the foldable utensil so that the foldableutensil does not be polluted before being used.

[0006] A further object of the present invention is to provide acombined device of a foldable utensil and a container, wherein thereceiving space can be directly formed by the container and the bottomwall, or an inner groove is formed installed at the bottom, or twolateral walls of the inner groove are further formed with finger holes.Thereby, a finger may insert into the hole for fetching the foldableutensil easily.

[0007] A yet object of the present invention is to provide a combineddevice of a foldable utensil and a container, wherein the foldableutensil is installed with at least one set of embedding blocks which arealternatively arranged as a U shape so as to be engaged with theembedding posts at two sides of the handle. Moreover, two U shapeembedding block sets are formed as an S shape blocks. Similarly, by theS shape blocks, embedding posts at two sides of the handle arealternatively arranged to be formed as a three dimensional handle.

[0008] The various objects and advantages of the present invention willbe more readily understood from the following detailed description whenread in conjunction with the appended drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the foldable utensil of thepresent invention at a folding condition.

[0010]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a combined device of afoldable utensil and a container in the present invention.

[0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing that the foldable utensil ofthe present invention is at an opening condition.

[0012]FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view showing that the foldableutensil 2 of the present invention is assembled at a three dimensionalhandle.

[0013]FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing that the foldable utensil ofthe present invention is installed as a spoon fork.

[0014]FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing that the foldable utensil ofthe present invention is formed as an agitating plate.

[0015]FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing that the present invention isin a packaging condition.

[0016]FIG. 8 is a partial cross sectional view of the present inventionin a packaging condition.

[0017]FIG. 9 is a partial cross sectional view showing that the presentinvention is in another folding condition with a U shape blocks beingformed.

[0018]FIG. 10 is a partial cross sectional view that the presentinvention is another folding condition with an S shape blocks beingformed.

[0019]FIG. 11 is an assembled cross sectional view of FIGS. 9 and 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention isillustrated. The present invention has a container 1 and a foldableutensil 2.

[0021] The container 1 is a container including a food can, a cup, abowl a box, etc. having a round shape, a rectangular shape or apolygonal shape, or other irregular shape. A bottom of the container 1is installed with a receiving space for receiving the foldable utensil2. The receiving space can be directly formed by the container 1 and thebottom wall 111, or an inner groove 112 is formed at the bottom, or twolateral walls of the inner groove 112 are further formed with fingerholes 113. Thereby, a finger may insert into the hole for fetching thefoldable utensil easily. The receiving space of the container 1 or theinner groove 112 is installed with a pin 114. Thereby, the foldableutensil 2 is installed with a positioning hole 20 at a respectiveposition for being steadily embedded to the bottom of the container 1.

[0022] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the foldable utensil 2 is an integralformed plate and includes a bowl 21, a handle 22 and a neck 23.Transversal dents 221 with a “

” shape are installed at the body of the handle 22 so that it isfoldable to be stored in the receiving space at the bottom of thecontainer 1 (or the inner groove 112). By longitudinal dents 222 with a“

” shape and with the positioning of embedding posts 223 and embeddingholes 224, the body of the handle 22 is foldable so as to be formed as aconcrete three dimensional handle (referring to FIGS. 4 and 5). However,the bowl 21 may be replaced by a fork or a spoon fork 21A (referring toFIG. 5) or an agitating plate 21 B (see FIG. 6), or other utensils, allthese modifications are within the scope of the present invention. Foraforesaid bowl 21, or fork, or spoon fork 21A, or agitating plate 21A ofthe foldable utensil, the neck 13 connected to the handle and the bodyof the handle 22 have an engaging structure at a selecting portion.Referring to FIG. 3, in the engaging structure, an embedding piece 231is installed at an extending neck 23 of the utensil, while the body ofthe handle 22 is installed with a respective embedding groove 24 at arespective end. The embedding groove 24 is formed by two straight ribs241. Thereby, the foldable utensil 2 can be folded and thus ispositioned.

[0023] In the aforesaid foldable utensil 2, the embedding posts 223 areinstalled at two sides of the body of the handle 22, while the embeddingholes 224 are formed at the center portion of the body of the handle sothat the embedding posts 223 are exactly embedded into the embeddingholes 224 and are steadily buckled so as to be formed as a concretethree dimensional handle 22.

[0024] By the aforesaid structure, the foldable utensil 2 can bereceived in the receiving space at the bottom of the container 1 (or theinner groove 112) so that the foldable utensil 2 can be folded by thelongitudinal dent 222 and thus is received to the bottom of thecontainer 1. Then, a proper plastic film 3 is used to package thecontainer 1 (or the bottom of the container 1) so as to assure that theutensil will not be polluted before eating (referring to FIGS. 7 and 8).However, as it is taken out for using, it can be folded along thelongitudinal dents 222 so as to be formed as a concrete threedimensional handle.

[0025] The aforesaid embedding posts 223 is installed on the handle 22,and a front end thereof has proper tightening nose portions 225 forgenerating a further tightening effect as the embedding posts 223 areembedded into the embedding holes 224.

[0026] In the foldable utensil of the present invention, theconfiguration thereof can be modified properly. With reference to FIG.9, the foldable utensil 2 is installed with at least one set ofembedding blocks 25 which are alternatively arranged as a U shape so asto be engaged with the embedding posts 223 at two sides of the handle22. Moreover, two U shape embedding block sets are formed as an S shapeblocks 26. Similarly, by the S shape blocks 26, embedding posts 223 attwo sides of the handle 22 are alternatively arranged to be formed as athree dimensional handle.

[0027] The present invention is thus described, it will be obvious thatthe same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to beregarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilledin the art are intended to be included within the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A combined device of a foldable utensil and acontainer comprising a container 1 and a foldable utensil 2; thecontainer 1 is a container including a food can, a cup, a bowl a box,etc. having a round shape, a rectangular shape or a polygonal shape, orother irregular shape; the foldable utensil 2 is a bowl 21, or fork, orspoon fork 21A, or agitating plate 21A; characteristic in that: acontainer 1 having a bottom installed with a receiving space forreceiving the foldable utensil 2; the foldable utensil 2 is an integralformed plate and includes a bowl 21 at a front end thereof, a handle 22at a rear end thereof and a neck 23 so that it is foldable to be storedin the receiving space at a bottom of the container 1; and the body ofthe handle 22 is foldable so as to be formed as a concrete threedimensional handle; wherein by aforesaid components, the foldableutensil 2 is placed in the receiving space at a bottom of the container1 so that the utensil is folded and thus is then placed at a bottom ofthe container 1; while as the utensil is taken out for being used, itcan be folded so as to be assembled as a concrete three dimensionalhandle.
 2. The combined device of a foldable utensil and a container asclaimed in claim 1 , wherein transversal dents 221 with a “

” shape is installed at a body of the handle 22 so that it is foldableto be stored in the receiving space at the bottom of the container 1; bylongitudinal dents 222 with a “

” shape and with the positioning of embedding posts 223 and embeddingholes 224, the body of the handle 22 is foldable so as to be formed as aconcrete three dimensional handle.
 3. The combined device of a foldableutensil and a container as claimed in claim 1 or 2 , wherein thereceiving space is directly formed by the container 1 and the bottomwall
 111. 4. The combined device of a foldable utensil and a containeras claimed in claim 1 or 2 , wherein an inner groove 112 is formed atthe bottom of the container.
 5. The combined device of a foldableutensil and a container as claimed in claim 3 , wherein two lateralwalls of the inner groove 112 are further formed with finger holes 113.6. The combined device of a foldable utensil and a container as claimedin claim 1 or 2 , wherein the receiving space of the container 12 isinstalled with a pin 114, while the foldable utensil 2 is installed witha positioning hole 20 at a respective position for being steadilyembedded to the pine 114 at the bottom of the container
 1. 7. Thecombined device of a foldable utensil and a container as claimed inclaim 3 , wherein the inner groove 112 of the container 12 is installedwith a pin 114, while the foldable utensil 2 is installed with apositioning hole 20 at a respective position for being steadily embeddedto the pine 114 at the bottom of the container
 1. 8. The combined deviceof a foldable utensil and a container as claimed in claim 1 or 2 ,wherein for the bowl 21, or fork, or spoon fork 21A, or agitating plate21A of the foldable utensil; a neck 13 connected to the handle and thebody of the handle 22 have an engaging structure at a selecting portion.9. The combined device of a foldable utensil and a container as claimedin claim 8 , wherein in the engaging structure, an embedding piece 231is installed at an extending neck 23 of the utensil, while the body ofthe handle 22 is installed with an respective embedding groove 24 at arespective end; the embedding groove 24 is formed by two straight ribs241; thereby, the foldable utensil 2 is folded and thus is positioned.10. The combined device of a foldable utensil and a container as claimedin claim 1 or 2 , wherein in the foldable utensil, the embedding posts223 are installed at two sides of the body of the handle 22, while theembedding holes 224 are formed at a center portion of the body of thehandle so that the embedding posts 223 are exactly embedded into theembedding holes 224 and are steadily buckled therein.
 11. The combineddevice of a foldable utensil and a container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein after the foldable utensil 2 is received in the receivingspace at the bottom of the container 1, a plastic film 3 is used topackage the container 1 so as to assure that the utensil will not bepolluted before eating.
 12. The combined device of a foldable utensiland a container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the foldable utensil 2is installed with at least one set of embedding blocks 25 which arealternatively arranged as a U shape so as to be engaged with theembedding posts 223 at two sides of the handle 22 so as to be formed asa three dimensional handle.
 13. The combined device of a foldableutensil and a container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one setof S shape blocks 26 is installed at a middle portion of the handle; bythe S shape blocks 26, the embedding posts 223 at two sides of thehandle 22 are alternatively arranged to be formed as a three dimensionalhandle.